It's been a while since the last update. I had a busy week, visiting my family out of town, meeting up with old highschool friends, and I also had an essay and another assignment to do. It's been two months since university started, and only now I'm feeling the workload starting to pick up a little. Anyway, enough about my life, you people are here for the story. So enjoy the read!
To random reader: Yes, I do plan on writing the perspectives of the Falmart natives. I've got some interesting ideas for them.
Retaliation: Response
Two months have come and gone in rigid training as deployment day drew closer. The endurance of the JGSDF was tested, broken, and then reshaped into something stronger than it ever was before. One week before the expected day, the 5th Brigade was mobilized to the camps around Tokyo, where all the final preparations for the incursion were being done.
The bullet train trucked along the tracks and, within, the members of the Third Recon Team were enjoying the brief respite from the brutal training they underwent under the supervision of the Marines. Though even as they laughed and talked among themselves, they all wondered what to expect once through the Gate, a thought that none of them voiced out loud.
Itami joined his team in the compartment they were assigned to and they all cheered him as he came through the door.
"You all settling good?"
"We're good, lieutenant. Smooth ride so far."
Itami smiled. "Well, I got some news. I just spoke with Captain Saza and he has agreed to give everyone in the company some time before we check into base to call any family or friends."
The team nodded.
"I suggest you make good use of this time. It'll be a hectic week once inside the base, with lots more things to prepare. You probably won't get much chances to communicate with your loved ones. So, do make use of the time."
"Yes, sir!"
The previously rowdy atmosphere of the compartment soon turned quiet as each member retreated to their inner thoughts of who should they call. Families, friends, many others. Itami had already made up his mind to call Risa and checked up on her. It was not until Kurata broke the silence that everyone snapped out of their thoughts.
"So who you all calling?"
Kuwahara, who sat next to the sergeant, smacked him on the head for his insensitive question. "Private information."
"There's no harm in just saying, sarge." Kurata stood from his seat and started singling people out. "Tomita, who you calling?"
"Girlfriend."
Kurata nodded. "Daisuke?"
"Umm…my parents."
"Mari?"
"Same, parents."
"Shino?"
The brunette stayed quiet, unwilling to answer the question, gazing out the window at the passing countryside. Kurata suddenly looked embarrassed and he sat back down. He didn't ask anymore.
Itami gazed at Shino. Ever since returning from her leave, the female sergeant first class had yet to softened up even after all this time. While the rest of the team had begun to appreciate his presence, Shino stayed cold and aloof towards him. During the past two months, he had voluntarily trained and suffered with the Third Recon as he believed he himself should be undergoing the brutal regime the Marines were employing. His leadership skills had been lacking, but he had learnt much under the Lieutenant Bowman's tutelage. It was through hardship that comradery in the team grew stronger together; however, Shino was distant to everyone, and the rest of the team—except for Mari—seemed to stay away from her. Even Kuwahara had warned him to be careful around the female sergeant, and to give her some more time. How much more time, though, the sergeant major didn't specify.
Itami sighed, and saw Kuwahara nudged Kurata in the ribs.
"So since you've being a nose in everyone's business, who're you calling?"
"No one," the driver proclaimed as if it was a proud declaration.
"No one?" Itami asked, giving him a curious look.
"No one, sir. My parents would hardly care if I did, so fuck them."
Itami didn't know how to respond, and he glanced at Kuwahara, who shrugged. "I see, Kurata."
He moved further up the compartment and it was then he saw that Hitoshi Furuta, the tall private first class, was writing something down on a piece of paper. Curtesy told him to mind his own business and move on, but eventually curiosity won out.
"Hey what you writing there, Hitoshi?"
The private first class looked up at the second lieutenant. "Just a letter, sir. To my parents and sister."
"A letter? You're not going to call them?"
Hitoshi looked away before answering, tapping his pen on the seat table. "No, sir. I know how to put my words better on paper. If it's a phone call, I just don't know what to say to them."
Kuwahara, having heard the exchange, came up forward from his seat. He shook his head. "That won't do, Hitoshi. I think it's better if you call them."
"I don't know, Kuwahara."
"It's fine if you can't think of anything to say, at least they can hear your voice. Take it from me, since I'm a father, your parents will no doubt be happier than glad if they get to hear your voice. They want to hear from you, from your mouth directly. No letter can do that for them, no matter how well you write it."
The sergeant major placed a hand on the Hitoshi's shoulder, and the private paused before finally nodding. "You're right," he said, and he crumpled up the paper he was writing on.
Itami smiled at Kuwahara, pleased at how the sergeant major just had a way with the members of the team. "Nice one, Kuwahara," he whispered to the old sergeant as he returned to his seat.
Kuwahara nodded, but did not say anything else.
† † † † † † †
Everyone was glad to be off the train when it finally reached its destination. What initially started off as an enjoyable trip soon turned into a drag that didn't seem to have an end. And when the end did finally come, the members of the Third Recon had degenerated into an annoyed bunch of grumps, ready to snap at the slightest excuse. Six hour of train will do that to anyone.
Kuwahara watched as Itami groaned and stretched before speaking. The second lieutenant looked eager to dismissed everyone.
"Alright team, see you all in an hour. Do the necessaries. I'll be on the phone, so no one disturb me."
"Yes, sir."
The team dispersed and Kuwahara pulled out his smartphone, scrolling through his contact list before finally finding the number he wanted. His thumb reached for the call button, but then suddenly stopped, frozen. He glanced around the train platform, noticing the vast number of military personnel moving about with their luggage. Wanting to be somewhere more private, he headed towards a lone bench on the far end of the station.
Sitting down, his thumb still hovered over the call button, unable to pressed down. He glanced around once again. No one was near, and he knew this was the best place he could get to place his call. However, still something held him back and he screen-locked his phone, only to unlock it again moments later. He stared at the number for a long while, unable to build the resolve to ring it, as if there was a physical barrier preventing him from doing so.
A sigh escaped him.
"Come on, this is the only chance I'll get," he said to himself, his heart beating hard against his chest.
Make good use of the time. Itami's words came suddenly to him, and he knew the lieutenant was right. Despite being new to the team, the officer clearly looked for the best interests of those under his command.
"Come on," he said it once again, and the confidence that was previously missing came.
Taking a deep breath, Kuwahara's thumb pressed down. The line began to ring.
He pressed the phone against his ear and before long the call was picked up. A young woman's voice came through.
"Dad?"
A small smile formed on his lips. "Yes, Miyo."
"You're about to be deployed, are you?"
"I am, in a week's time. This is probably the last time I can call you in a while." His heart fell by an inch as he spoke those words.
"Oh…I see." A short silence. "Have you spoken to Sen yet?"
"No, I'll call your brother after you."
"How long will you be gone?"
"Six months at least. Might be longer if the higher ups want us to stay on the front line longer." He didn't add that there was rumour going about that said the average tour of duty for the recon company would most likely last longer than two years, given the essential need to explore the unknown land.
"Hopefully they'll allow you to come home sooner for someone as old as you."
If the circumstances had been any different, Kuwahara might have laughed at the light jab at his age. But, as it is, they were not. "Miyo, I've been thinking. Why don't you and Yoichi proceed with the wedding? There's no need to wait for me to get out. You both have my blessing. Yoichi is a good man, I trust him to take good care of you."
Miyo's response came immediately, "Not an option, dad. You're going to be at my wedding no matter what. I'll postpone it as long as it takes until you're back."
He sighed inwardly, having expected this answer. "Miyo, look, it's not fair to you and Yoichi to keep you two waiting. Your mother will want to see you get married if she were here. I can't honestly hold you back from your happiness."
"Dad, you're not holding me back. Yoichi will understand. Mom's already gone, so don't worry about her. I just want you to be there. What's the point of my happiness if you aren't there to see me achieve it? Please come, dad, we'll wait for you."
Kuwahara stayed silent for a long moment before exhaling a long breath. "You know, ever since your mother died, I've been rarely home in these years. I've spent too much time in base when I should have been with you and Sen. I haven't been much of a father to you two. I don't think I deserve to be there to see you and Yoichi made husband and wife." The words that he had kept in his heart for all this time came out, and he knew it was the right choice to say it. He had to be honest with his children. Otherwise, what else could he do?
It was long pause before the reply came through, and his heart pounded as the seconds dragged longer than it should have. Miyo's voice had turned low and she spoke with a seriousness that he had never heard her done so before. "I've always been your little girl, dad. Always obedient and attentive, always listening to whatever you said. But for just this once, I'm going to go against you. I don't agree with anything you've just said. None of it. You're my father, no matter what. You're going to be at my wedding, no matter what. Even if you believe that lie that you haven't been much of a father, then what better chance to make up for it than to be there with me as I make my vows. What other chance, dad?"
He couldn't answer. He knew she was right, and it gnawed at him to voice out his agreement out loud immediately. But, for some reason, the words couldn't come out.
"Please come, dad. Please."
It was then his reluctance—the thoughts telling him to say no—vanished completely.
Slowly, he opened his mouth and said, "Alright, I'll be there. Wait for me."
The shift in tone in Miyo was obvious, and he could imagine her smiling on the other end of the line.
"Don't worry, dad. We'll definitely wait."
† † † † † † †
Much had changed since the last time Itami had set foot on the streets of Ginza. Back then, it was still a pedestrian heaven, with buzzing businesses and wonders for sight-seeing. However now, there was nothing that looked the same. Cars were replaced with armour vehicles, civilians with military personnel, traffic lights with authorized checkpoints. And most of all, a mysterious Gate right in the middle of everything.
He glanced the men and women around him. After months of training for deployment, the 5th Brigade was ready to handle whatever the Special Region was going to throw at them—or at least they hoped they were. A long column of soldiers and vehicles lined the great length of Chuo Street, their face impassive as they waited for the order to begin the advance into the Special Region.
Spearheading the advance through the Gate was the 5th Tank battalion, with three squadrons of T90s, followed behind by the 5th Infantry Regiment. Itami and the Third Recon Team was somewhere in the middle of the column, and they could feel the cold in the air that spoke of a coming winter. Itami wondered whether the Special Region shared the same seasons as Japan.
Standing on the edges of both sides of the street were civilians. They were there to see off the men and women who would avenge the losses at Ginza. Itami spotted some were carrying banners calling for the closing the Gate, their shouts and protest reaching him even as he sat inside a LAV.
"Demolish the Gate!"
"No more blood!"
"Shut it down!"
But even as loud as they screamed and yelled, those few protesters were surrounded by seas of others who call for vengeance. Vengeance against an Empire that attacked their people without warning. It was now Japan's turn to take the fight to their homes and kill their men. No mercy. Anger, that was what filled most of the Japanese here on this day.
The 5th Brigade began moving forward, towards a podium in front of the Gate where Lieutenant General Hazama would address the Special Region Task Force. Itami signaled Kurata to drive ahead, and the driver simply nodded and gently released the clutch pedal, starting the LAV forward. One T73 truck and Toyota mobility vehicle followed from behind, carrying the rest of the Third Recon.
As the team moved forward, a wide monument the height of a man soon came up to their right.
The plaque at the base of the monument read:
The Ginza Memorial. Dedicated for the lives lost on 17th August, here on these streets.
Now that he was close enough, Itami could see a long list of names engraved on the flat face of the monument, and he clenched his fist as the memories of that day came back to him. In the days leading up to today, deployment day, his dreams had been haunted by the screams and cries that deafened his ears that day. He pushed the thoughts away, only partially successful.
He looked behind to the back seats and saw Shino reading the monument as well, her eyes flicking up and down the list with impunity. She must be looking for her brother's name, Itami reckoned, and as he regarded her, she suddenly turned to face forward again, catching him looking at her. She frowned at him, and he attempted a nervous smile, which was only ignored.
Sighing, Itami faced the front again. Before long, the whole brigade stopped moving and dismounted their vehicles before making their way in front of the podium. They stood in complete silence as Hazama moved to the center of the podium. From the distance, the lieutenant general was only a small speckle, but yet there was confidence in the man's movement that seemed to make his presence feel gigantic. Even the crowd quietened down completely for him to speak.
"Special Region Task Force," Hazama began. "We are here today for only one purpose. War. Behind me, lies the Gate, and beyond that, a whole new world. A different world, and, for all we know, a hostile world. The Empire struck us first without provocation, when we weren't ready. But now we are, and it's our duty to return the blow. Not a knockout blow though. A killing blow. Now is the time for us to take the fight to them."
The general gestured towards the Ginza memorial. "The loss of those lives on the 17th August will not go unanswered. I hope that each of you have taken a good look at the names on the memorial, and if you can, I ask that you never forget them, keep them in your hearts and minds for the duration of your deployment, because they are your mission. Your mission to avenge. To vindicate! To respond! Let the Empire know, this is Japan's retaliation!"
The roar of those present was sudden and erupt, and it drowned out everything else. Indeed, if the Empire could hear the shouts and yells now, they would know. They would know.
Hazama motioned for quiet and the noise died down once again.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the United States of America, for their dedication to their allies, who have rushed to our aid today without the slightest of hesitation. The 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force under Colonel Robert Jones are deploying with the 5th Brigade to the Special Region." Hazama gestured to a heavy built man who stood alongside where the three US Marines regiments were. "They will watch our backs and in time I hope we can prove to them that we will do the same."
Shouts of approval sounded from soldiers.
Hazama, who had maintained a stern expression, suddenly grinned, surprising many, especially those familiar with the lieutenant general's stoic nature. "Soldiers, Marines, Countrymen, we may be up against an entire empire by ourselves. We do not know what will happen to us on the other side of the Gate. But do not fear. Let the enemy fear. I expect that not long from now every citizen of the Empire will know the name of Japan and the USA, and they would know the price of war against our two nations. All of you here today, remember this; we are not just a task force, we are enforcers. Enforcers that are sent to the other world to collect the debt owed to the people of Japan. And not just any debt, it is a blood debt. Is it not a blood debt, Special Region Task Force?"
The men and women roared, cheering and yelling their assent. The thunderous noise was accompanied by the stomping of feet by the US Marines, who screamed out their signature call, "OORAH!"
The civilians applauded both the men and women of the JSDF and USMC, letting their excitement for the debt to be paid be known.
"Special Region Task Force," Hazama addressed once his signal for silence was received again. "We will now begin our advance through the Gate!"
"Yes, sir!" The entire task force saluted, to which Hazama returned and then walked off the podium.
"The opening words of the first chapter of To Kill An Empire," Mari said as the 5th Brigade began to return to their vehicles and positions along the column.
"Yes," Tomita said.
"So, to put the general's speech in simpler terms," Kurata said, getting into the driver's seat of the LAV. "We're going to make the bastards pay for what they did to us."
Itami saw out of the corner of his eyes Shino giving the slightest of nods to that.
The men manning the protective barrier surrounding the Gate pulled back the locks and slid open the barriers, revealing the strange building that had brought the army of another world. The irony now was that it would bring the response of Japan through to the Special Region.
"Here we go, guys," Itami said to his team through their headsets. "The advance scouts say that it's not much of a journey through the Gate. Perhaps half a mile long."
Kurata chuckled. "I think this is perhaps the hundred time I'm asking myself what have I gotten myself into."
"Think of it as a trip to your favorite cosplay world," Itami joked, though within he shared the same thoughts as the driver.
"Aye, I'll do that, lieutenant. You think we'll see some nekomimi there?"
"I hope so."
"The invasion is justified if we do. Damn, I can't believe we're doing this. A whole new world. I just can't fucking believe it."
Itami smiled. "You're not the only one, Kurata." He turned to the others. "How you guys doing?"
"We're alright, lieutenant," Tomita said, giving a thumb's up from where he sat manning the LAV's turret.
"Good, good." He looked at Shino whose eyes seemed glued to the structure of the Gate the entire time. "Kurabayashi, you okay?"
The female sergeant first class gave him a slight glance before nodding. "It's a bit unbelievable at the moment, sir."
"I know what you mean. Like Kurata said, it's a whole new world. Who would have thought this could happen?"
"Exactly."
The Gate came ever closer, and Itami could his stomach turning. This was it.
And thus, the Third Recon Team entered.
Inside the Gate was dark, and Itami called for lights. The headlights of the team's three vehicles shone. It was a cramp space within the Gate, especially since there were hundreds of men and women passing through at the moment. The humming of vehicles and the sound of footsteps echoed loudly and deafening, but strangely for Itami, he managed to find the ability to tune out the noise.
He looked at the wall on both his left and right, and saw strange writings—inscriptions that he had no chance of understanding. The lines and symbols were glowing a dark red colour, pulsating as if the building itself was alive. He wondered what sort of civilization built this place. Despite boasting of superior technology to the Empire, Japan had yet to even breach the depths of dimensional travel. There was more mystery to the Empire than what he knew.
All the while as the LAV drove on, his stomach continued to churn. No one was talking within the Gate, as if everyone had been entranced—bewitched—by the strangeness of the place. He could feel his head spinning a bit now, a slight pressure that seemed to have popped out of nowhere. He rubbed his forehead, closing his eyes for a mere moment.
When he opened his eyes again, the lines of the walls had stopped glowing red. Instead, a bright green glimmer had taken its place. Itami felt his heart lurched a bit. Glancing around, he noticed the others had witnessed the same thing, and so he resolved not to ask because he knew very well that none of them knew the answer to what was happening.
Around ten minutes later, a dull light appeared ahead at the distance. Itami brought his head closer to the windscreen so that he could get a better view, seeing how suddenly the ceiling of the Gate seemed to give way into a vast wideness.
"We're here," he heard Tomita said. Kurata nodded, not saying a word, as if it would break spell cast upon the task force since entering the Gate.
Itami rolled down his window and heard the sounds of a countryside, an enormous contrast to the sounds of the city that they had just left behind. Strong fresh air greeted Itami's face, making his cheeks cold, as the team drew near towards the exit, and he realized that it was nighttime in the Special Region; the dull light he'd saw earlier had been that of a night sky. It had been just near midday in Japan.
A minute later, the wheels of LAV rolled off the concrete pavement and onto softer grass, exiting the Gate. The Special Region Task Force seemed to have arrived on top of a high hill, with a wide domineering view of the surrounding lands. Grassy hills filled Itami's vision from one corner of his eyes to the other, their contours like an endless range of shadowed dunes on the surface of the land. The sky above, inhabited by myriads of shining stars and constellations, hosted a full moon, so clear in the open countryside whereas in a city the lights of buildings might have washed out its natural light. It was beautiful, a scene unlike any that he had ever seen before.
He was in another world.
"Wow," the word escaped him.
"Wow, indeed, sir," Kuwahara's voice came through his headset.
All of the Third Recon Team seemed to be amazed by what they were seeing. It was a strange sight to all of them, a land untouched by the wheels of modern technology. The natural beauty of it all was breathtaking. A sad fact that this was the land war would be made onto.
The noise of the moving armour and personnel of the JSDF suddenly returned to Itami's senses and he remembered that they still had their duties to do. He signaled for Kurata to continue moving. The LAV moved towards the edges of the hill and he gazed down the slope.
There, his heart fell.
All along the base of the hill was a large enemy camp. At least two legions or more. The Empire must have left these men to garrison the hill. Through the light provided by the countless of torches, he could see legionaries rushing to form up, minotaurs and ogres grunting heavily as they trudged along. There were thousands of them.
"Fuck, that's a lot of them," Kurata said.
Shino readied her rifle. "Sir, your orders?"
Itami realized the whole team was waiting for him to speak now, and he took a moment to figure out what to do. "We're recon. We don't engage. Come on, we're pulling back off the front."
He pointed Kurata to where the rest of the recon company was, who had begun setting up a defensive position, where they would still have a view of enemy legions.
As Kurata drove them there, Itami saw the squadrons of tanks and infantry who were ahead of the recon company in the column that entered the Gate were already in position and prepared for engagement.
"Looks like a fight is coming," Shino said, once the whole team dismounted their vehicles, looking a bit disappoint at not being able to fight the enemy.
Itami nodded. "We have to push them out of this area if we are to set up a base here."
They watched the movement of the Imperial army, but for some reason they had yet to advance up the hill.
"Why aren't they charging up the hill yet?" Hitoshi questioned.
"They could be waiting for us to make the first move," Kuwahara pointed out. "It's too dark to fight. We're in a good defensible position. And what's more, we're the invaders so we'll have to go to them rather than them coming to us."
"So they're just going to sit there?"
Kuwahara nodded. "Most likely."
Itami watched at the distance as the legions waited at the base of the hill, taunting and jeering, calling for the JSDF to come down and fight.
"That makes them sitting ducks for our artillery."
Just as Itami said that, the first tanks fired, the noise erupting both sudden and deafening. The darkness of the night was lit by the muzzle blasts coming from T90s and M2 Brownings. Rounds after rounds fired, with only the slightest of pause. The machines of war held no sympathies, they shoot to kill, exactly as they were designed to.
Screams and cries sounded from below as a mist of red now hid the legions from view. The previously dense formation was pummeled, battered, hammered repeatedly without respite. The soldiers of the Empire had no response, Itami even doubted that they knew what was happening, their confusion showing in the way they groped their way through the barrage as hundreds were falling left and right. One legionary was crying out, maybe in attempt to rally the others, but his efforts were largely ignored—or merely overshadowed by the sheer masses dying. The man didn't last long as a shell erupted on where he stood and when the blast cleared the man was no longer there.
The rout began when a group of ogres, given in to their natural response of flight rather than fight when faced with an opponent they cannot win against, scampered away into the countryside. The others, broken out of their stupor at the sight of their war beasts running, followed suit and dashed towards the distant hills where they hope would provide refuge for their lives. Unfortunately, one cannot outrun a speeding bullet.
Mercy? There was none on the slopes of this tall hill on which the Special Region Task Force had arrived upon. Itami heard the order to pursue being called out along the lines of tanks and infantry, and he watched them charged down the hill, killing all those that are left running.
There seemed to be no end to the rounds fired before it finally stopped, revealing a mess of bodies in the thousands where the army of the Empire was previously. Thousands dead, just like that. The wounded would be taken prisoners, but Itami saw some of the legionaries take their own lives when they saw the soldiers of the task force approaching, stabbing their own hearts with their swords. They rather die than bear the humiliation of capture.
Mari came forward, rubbing her head. "So this is war."
Tomita grunted, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. "Less prettier than I thought."
† † † † † † †
"The Ginza Memorial.
A stone monument about three meters wide and two meters tall. Erected on the 17th October, the two months' anniversary of the Battle of Ginza, it is dedicated to the memory of the hundreds of lives lost during the tragedy. On the east-facing side of the memorial are inscribed the names of all 1347 victims, ranging from young to old.
A curious rumour regarding the memorial was that when the leaders of the perpetrators of the Empire's attack on Ginza were being taken on their way to the National Diet Building where they would be meeting the Japanese Emperor and Prime Minister, the van transporting them curiously took a wild detour that ended up in the district of Ginza. And, in another event of sheer coincidence, the van broke down as it passed by the Ginza Memorial, and the prisoners were ushered out and forced to kneel before the monument, facing the names of all those they killed as they waited for a second van to pick them up.
The Emperor and Prime Minister was said to have overlooked the prisoners' delay when they arrived at the Diet building three hours late."
Visit Japan, Tourism Blog, 2029.
This chapter surprised me actually, really surprised me. When I started out writing this chapter, I thought that this chapter was prob going to be one of those boring ones that most people would rather skip. But then as I continued to write it, I started to gain a bit more interest in it. By the time I sent it off to my co-writer for editing, I thought that it was not too bad. And when I received the chapter back and read through it again, I was actually very happy with the whole chapter. That just goes to show that even if you think your writing is shit it might actually be good if you read it again.
Anyway, we've got one more chapter left to the first arc of this story, then we'll have an interlude before beginning the second arc. I'm excited to write the second arc.
Once again, thank you all who have reviewed, favorited, and followed. Hope you all keep on reading. Have a good day you people!
